UMass Boston’s Graduate Employee Organization is currently in contentious, collective bargaining with a team from the university’s Human Resources department. The Human Resources team represents the university and the Board of Trustees. As of now, the GEO is working under a contract that has been expired since June, and is fighting to improve their compensation and benefits.
According to a letter shared with the Mass Media by a rank-and-file member of the GEO, the organization is “the union that represents graduate student employees on campus. We assist research and teaching, teach our own classes, represent the institution at scholarly events, and support the mission of the university in many other ways.”
The union is made up of over 700 graduate students, and is affiliated with the national union, UAW.